


You Are My Sunshine

by Only_Happy_Endings



Series: Marauder's 7th Year Moments [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Marauders' Era, really dialogue heavy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-07-01 19:31:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15780627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Only_Happy_Endings/pseuds/Only_Happy_Endings
Summary: It was funny, after all those years, to be in those boats again. Both times heading to a scary and unknown future. Seven years ago the boat trip had been in the pouring rain, this time, there was a heavy storm cloud in the distance. But for just this moment, this small wonderful moment between friends, the sun was shining just for them.or, the Marauders say goodbye to Hogwarts and worry about what the future might hold





	You Are My Sunshine

“It should be raining” Sirius announced loudly and to no one in particular. Remus sighed behind him as they trudged down to the docks with the rest of the graduated class. 

“And why’s that?”

“It was raining seven years ago, when we first arrived on these boats. When we all first met and got soaking wet. Peter fell into the water and almost touched the giant squid, remember?” 

“I remember trying to stop you from diving in after him because you thought you could get closer” James reminded, appearing beside Sirius, hand in hand with Lilly.

“Where did you two disappear to?” Sirius asked

“Later” James mouthed at him

“Well it does look like a storm is on the way. Sorry it won’t be here in time to soak us for an uncomfortable train ride back” Peter said, pointing at the heavy storm clouds rolling in in the distance. 

“Sunshine is a terrible setting for a goodbye” Sirius muttered

“Oh quit being so dramatic, Padfoot” James said as he shoved Sirius head first into the boat that had pulled up in front of them. Everybody clambered in behind him and the boat jerked into motion as it began to pull away from the docks. Everybody smiled and waved at all the teachers who had gathered to send them off. Even Mcgonagall, who had expressed nothing but exasperation over their time at school, looked a little teary eyed as she yelled after them to behave themselves.

They sat in silence for a few moments, fully grasping at the idea that they were leaving.

“I can’t believe this is it” Peter said mournfully as they watched the teachers begin to turn and go back inside one by one.

“Cheer up mate. This isn’t our last trip to Hogwarts. After all, when Moony here ends up becoming a professor”

“ - I said it would be nice, Sirius, not that I could. After all, we all know werewolves...”

“ - Like I said, WHEN moony here” Sirius interrupted, “ We’ll have to come check in on him all the time”

Peter smiled, slightly cheered up by the fact “yeah, I mean, we cant let him get into all the fun messing with the other teachers without us!” 

“And of course, you lot know all the secret passageways in and out of the castle… I’d hate to have to go all the way to christmas break to see our children once they turn 11” Lilly added, hand trailing through the inky black lake as the boat continued to surge forward, despite the fact that there was nobody rowing.

“Of course!” James smiled, immediately agreeing to anything that had to do with Lily and the thought of future children. “Just think of all our sons - second generation marauders, little puppies and rats and prongslets - running around causing chaos as best friends, giving Mcgonagall the worst headache of her lifetime”

“There's a chance we might have daughters” Lilly reminds with a playful nudge

“Of course! Some of us will have sons and some will have daughters, and all our kids will fall madly in love, and we can all become just this one big mess of a happy family!”

There was laughter for a few moments more, which faded into a comfortable silence as the group watched the sweeping castle they called home for so long slowly grow smaller and smaller into the distance.   
Sirius couldn't help but feel even more emotional than the rest. For many years Hogwarts had been the only home he had ever known. The place where he had learned what words like family and love should really mean. But change was in the wind. A war was on the way and everybody could feel it. Something was coming that would alter life as they knew it. Softly, as if afraid to break the silence by vocalizing such thoughts, Sirius whispered into the boat “Hogwarts will always be safe, won’t it?” The silence stretched on a moment longer, everybody suddenly feeling small in the boat pulling them along to their uncertain future. Then Lily nodded her head resolutely, fire in her eyes. 

“Of course Hogwarts will always be safe. So long as we’ve got Dumbledore”

“So long as we’ve got each other” James added, squeezing Lily’s hand assuringly “we’ll be stronger than all the hatred that's brewing” 

“How can you be so sure?” Sirius asked, his thoughts wandering to the dark days ahead where he would have to face off against family - against his own brother.

James smiled and wrapped an arm around Sirius’ neck “because… because how could anything go wrong when I’ve got my best man with me” Sirius turned and gave a sharp look at James, before looking down at Lily’s hand on James's other side and seeing - yes, a ring! - and breaking out into a huge smile. Sirius tackled the couple into a big bear hug, while Remus let out a big whoop and Peter toppled and almost fell off the boat with the surge of sudden movement. Everybody was smiling and cheering, the somber mood of the previous moment fully broken. 

(“You owe me five galleons” Remus whispers in Sirius’ ear at some point during all the hugging)

It was funny, after all those years, to be in those boats again. Both times heading to a scary and unknown future. Seven years ago the boat trip had been in the pouring rain, this time, there was a heavy storm cloud in the distance. But for just this moment, this small wonderful moment between friends, the sun was shining just for them. 

The boats ahead of them were beginning to breach onto the sandy shore, Hogwarts just a distant mountain in the background. They all locked eyes and knew with an intense certainty that whatever happened, they were going to be okay. Whatever the future holds, they'd face it together.


End file.
